Animal Activism Anti Circus Protest Fly Posters
“BOYCOTT THE CIRCUS — IT’S CRUEL” fly poster. A rare survivor from the 1940’s animal activism movement. The fly posters were made to disrupt the allure of the bright circus posters that were appearing after the war. Designed to get the message across at a distance and screen printed onto the thinnest paper. Once the poster had been pasted and whacked across the images of the exotic performing animals they could never be removed. Fly posting at its best, bold, quick and cheap. This example dates to 1948, the designer is unknown probably a sympathetic printer at the St Christopher Press. Gone is the wordy pre war style of the early Performing Animals’ Defence League posters, in its place is the powerful, simple message, ”IT’S CRUEL” that be read at a hundred yards.
30 inches x 20 inches the poster will fit into a standard A1 frame
I have a group of these posters that were salvaged from the Printers, they are fragile pieces and vary from almost undamaged to a bit battered and torn for a very authentic 72 year old look.
The Performing Animals’ Defence League, shortened to P.A.D.L. on its logo, was led by Captain Edmund MacMichael.
Eccentric, argumentative, idiosyncratic, MacMichael’s combative management lost many Titled Society backers over the years but we do not see any performing animals at the circus today. It’s impossible to imagine an entertainment that featured a troupe of chimpanzees dressed as native Americans, 20 elephants and 14 POLAR BEARS.
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